Bragging Rights or My Personal Claim to Fame

My mother was the best of women; she was just good in every way.  I was a blessed girl.

But, she told me one thing that I don’t agree with.  

Her mother had taught her this and she had passed it on to me; It’s impolite to brag about your children.  

(So, I didn’t brag when they were growing up, but gladly do so now!  Congrats, Dr H on becoming a Commander! Congrats granddaughter K for the A+ and incredible note from your science teacher, congrats granddaughter A on being asked to sing in front of the entire school, congrats J & A on having the cutest little baby boy EVER – except for all the other grandsons/granddaughters, of which there are many!, etc., etc., etc.)

But, this post is not  to brag about my children or GRANDchildren, this is MY PERSONAL CLAIM TO FAME from my ancestors (and it will explain exactly why I will ALWAYS have a struggle with my weight!)

My great grandparents, Orrin Jackson Merrill and Elizabeth White Merrill celebrated their 50^th wedding anniversary in 1925….hooray for them.  But, it’s the newspaper article about that event that is so unique and at the same time, frightening.  (IF this were included in a newspaper today, we could sue for slander, except that it was TRUE, so it’s not slanderous at all!)

Here is the exact wording of the article about MY great grandparents; oh my…what a claim to fame!

“The six sons and two daughters from the point of view of WEIGHT and LENGTH are thought to make up the LARGEST family in Idaho.  Each weighs OVER 200 POUNDS, and even the girls will measure almost six feet while the boys average nearly six feet four in inches.”

I shudder each time I see this; imagine having your WEIGHT included in your anniversary notice; and they seemed to be PROUD of it.  

Mamma Mia….what a claim to fame…the LARGEST FAMILY IN IDAHO by weight…now, that’s bragging rights, right there!

This picture was taken in 1888 several years before the 50th wedding anniversary article that sealed my weight fate!